Data Validation Services-NSSF Lebanon

Terms of reference - Data Validation Services

Background and Rationale

The compounded economic crisis that erupted in Lebanon in late 2019 has had a profound impact across all sectors, leaving the Lebanese population highly vulnerable to economic and social shocks.  Public sector institutions have also been impacted and continue to bear the brunt of the crisis. The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has been no exception. Like other public entities, it has struggled to navigate the enduring effects of the crisis, grappling with limited resources, reduced revenues, and increasing social protection needs from the population. Even before the crisis, the efficiency of the NSSF's internal processes was constrained by the lack of a robust IT infrastructure and insufficient digitization. The situation deteriorated further, leading to significant delays in updating the digital database and processing individuals' contribution data.

In an effort to overcome these challenges, the ILO supported a large-scale data entry initiative aimed at digitizing individual contribution records at the NSSF, through which nearly 800,000 individual contribution records were digitized. This entailed processing and entering backlogged data into the NSSF’s digital system, ensuring the institution maintains an up-to-date and reliable database crucial for effective service delivery and operational stability. A first round of data validation was carried out throughout the data entry process; however, additional challenges remain, which require a more comprehensive validation exercise of 600,000 records, including, yet not limited to addressing remaining discrepancies beyond data entry errors during the digitization process that require further coordination with other departments.

Given the strategic importance of this dataset for the efficient delivery of benefits, to support in-depth analysis and assessments of the different schemes, and the eventual transition towards the new pension scheme, it is absolutely critical to ensure its accuracy and consistency. The ILO, under the project “Supporting Social Security and Institutional Reforms towards a Strengthened Social Protection System in Lebanon,” funded by the FCDO, is therefore seeking to engage a qualified company to carry out a comprehensive, in-depth data validation exercise of the entered data.

Objective

The primary objective of this assignment is to ensure the timely and accurate validation of the previously digitized NSSF member contribution records. This entails adhering to the validation techniques currently applied by the NSSF, ensuring the institution can finalize the update of its database related to the individual records under the End of Service Indemnity scheme, a step crucial for effective service delivery, operational stability and ultimately the transition to the new pension scheme.

Scope of Work

The selected company will be required to carry out the assignment entirely within the premises of the NSSF. The company must adhere to strict data protection protocols and coordinate closely with NSSF administration throughout the mission.

The data validation process will involve a thorough review exercise of numeric data requiring attention to accuracy and consistency across all records.

The data validation work will be overseen and guided by the NSSF team, with final review and approval for data submission granted by NSSF supervisors.

The scope of work will include the following:

Validation Plan and Approach:

• Conduct meetings with NSSF staff members and management to gain a comprehensive understanding of the requirements and objectives of the assignment.
• Review and familiarize with the validation methods currently in use at the NSSF to ensure consistency and reinforce institutional ownership.
• Propose and apply files classification to enhance traceability and data organization.
• Develop a detailed work plan and timeframe for completing the data validation process, ensuring alignment with project goals and NSSF expectations.

Data Collection and Organization:

• Collaborate with NSSF staff to access electronic and physical records required for the validation process.
• Provide assistance to the NSSF in sourcing, printing, and systematically organizing additional documentation needed to carry out data validation activities.

Data Validation:

• At a high level, the data validation process will involve verifying individual records. It will also require a reconciliation between the total salaries declared by each employer and the aggregated sum of individual salaries reported under that employer. Below is a summary of fields to be validated:

• Year (once per page)
• Employer ID (once per page)
• Page number (once per page)
• Employee ID (for each record)
• Declared annual salary (for each record)

• Assist the NSSF, where applicable and based on staff clearance and requests, in addressing reconciliation issues that are not related to data entry errors, including coordinating and liaising with other departments as needed to complete the validation process.
• In total, according to current estimates, 600,000 records, organised in 350 files need to be validated. Files vary significantly in size and complexity. It is estimated that on average, one single data validator would require a single validator 12 hours to validate one file.

Reporting:

• Provide weekly progress reports detailing the volume of data validated (number of files), issues encountered, and corrective measures taken.
• Submit a final report summarizing the outcomes of the assignment.

Data Security:

• Implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.
• Comply with all relevant data privacy and security regulation.

Additional Information

Logistical Requirements:

• The NSSF will provide the required number of PCs, verified for functionality and with access to the software program.
• Working time is the NSSF’s usual working time: Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm.
• Files containing the NSSF forms are packed in boxes which are stored in the NSSF’s warehouse. The bidders would need to consider dedicating one office boy to transport those boxes from the warehouse – located within the NSSF’s premises.

Software Program:

• The selected company will have access to the NSSF MS access interface connected to SQL server database. Users will also have access to the online version that links the employees’ database to the employers’ database and to the rules engine. Each user will receive a username which will facilitate both access and traceability.

Timeline and Deliverables

The assignment will commence on August 18th, 2025, and needs to be concluded no later than September 30th, 2025. The completion of deliverables shall be confirmed, to the satisfaction of both the ILO and the NSSF team, in line with the established reporting mechanism.

Deliverable

Payment Percentage

Deadline

Inception report, weekly reports, successful validation of 50% of the estimated files and records*.

50%

20 working days after contract signature

Weekly reports, successful validation of 100% of the estimated files and records* and final report summarizing the outcomes of the assignment

50%

30 September 2025

* As verified through progress reports and quality checks.

The selected company must provide the ILO with an inception report detailing the work plan (within one week upon signature), weekly progress reports showing the volume of validated data, issues encountered, and corrective measures taken and, as well as a final report summarizing the outcomes of the assignment.

Qualifications and Selection Criteria

The selected data entry company must possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Proven track record in executing large-scale data validation and database management projects, preferably in social sectors.
• Demonstrated capacity to handle high volumes of data validation within tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy and efficiency.
• Experience with data security and privacy regulations.
• Availability of a qualified and experienced team with the necessary skills to complete the assignment effectively.
• Capacity to meet project deadlines and deliverables.
• Demonstrated commitment to adhering to strict data security and confidentiality protocols.
• Flexibility, effective communication, and a collaborative approach with NSSF staff are a must.
• Ability to respond promptly to staff turnover and maintain uninterrupted implementation of activities
• An Arabic-speaking team is mandatory to ensure smooth and effective communication with NSSF staff.
• Previous experience working with the NSSF will be considered a strong asset.

Companies assessed to be in possession of the above qualifications will be selected for a financial evaluation of the proposal. The ILO will select the candidate company proposing the “lowest priced, most technically acceptable offer”.

Application Process

Interested companies are invited to share a technical proposal and a financial proposal to with a subject “Data Validation – NSSF” by 1st of August 2025 with the ILO Lebanon Social Protection team at: Jabbourr@ilo.org and Fawaz@ilo.org.

The technical proposals must be in English and include (i) Letter of Presentation/Cover letter, including portfolio of previous relevant assignments, (ii) Curriculum Vitae (CVs) of the managing team and core team members, (iii) team composition, (iv) draft workplan that shows how the assignment can be completed within the contract period, and v) a financial proposal based on the validation of an estimated 600,000 records, distributed across approximately 350 files, with an average of 12 hours per file for one validator, to be completed within the contract period.

Technical queries from interested companies must be submitted in writing to the ILO via email to jabbourr@ilo.org.